▲ Military officers, the coast guard and firefighters search for two missing defense company employees after an armored vehicle was submerged during a test operation on the southeastern coast in Pohang on Sept. 26, 2023. (Yonhap)

(2nd LD) military vehicle-accident

(2nd LD) Two workers die after armored vehicle submerges during test run

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POHANG, South Korea, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- Two defense company employees died Tuesday after an armored vehicle prototype they boarded was submerged during a test operation on the southeastern coast in Pohang, military officials said.

The accident occurred at around 3 p.m. near the headquarters of the 1st Marine Division in Pohang, 262 kilometers southeast of Seoul, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

The two employees who were inside the landing assault armored vehicle were initially rescued after going missing earlier in the day but died after they were taken to a hospital, according to DAPA. They are said to have received cardiopulmonary resuscitation at the hospital but failed to regain consciousness.

DAPA said it is investigating the accident in cooperation with relevant authorities to determine the exact cause.

The armored vehicle is known to be a prototype of the Korean Amphibious Assault Vehicle-II expected to be introduced for the Marine Corps.

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